


You Soothe My Pain

by anonymouswriter_28



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Oneshot, Sick Character, Swan Queen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-06-09 03:53:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6888925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymouswriter_28/pseuds/anonymouswriter_28
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Underworld: Emma suffers from terrible migraines, leaving her unable to function. Regina comes to her aid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It’s been quite some time since I last wrote fanfiction! However, the recent episodes have been quite heartening. Inspired by Jennifer Morrison’s campaign More to Migraine and my thoughts about how Jen has to deal with these terrible migraines on set. What if Emma was also prone to similar head pains? Takes place a few months after the heroes’ return from the Underworld. Only in this story, Hook was not able to return with the others.

Emma rolled over in bed, snuggling deeper under the covers and trying to block out the incessant beeping sounds that were filling the room. She threw out her arm, hoping that her hand would land on the terrible little alarm device. The room plunged back into silence. Success, she thought. 

Oddly enough, however, she could still hear the repetitive beeps of the alarm. Or maybe that was simply her head. She realized now that it seemed to throbbing. She pressed the tips of her fingers along the length of her forehead in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure. The throbbing remained. 

“Great,” she muttered. Time to find some Excedrin or Advil or a cool washcloth or something. 

With that thought in mind, she tried to sit up and was hit by a wave of nausea. The room began to spin and so she quickly lay back down, wishing away the dizzy feelings and blurring room. 

These migraines seemed to be hitting her more and more frequently since their return from the Underworld. It was stress, she assumed. And perhaps a bit of exhaustion and feeling resigned about the fact that their trip was entirely unsuccessful given that they hadn’t rescued Hook. But these migraines were absolutely the worst things ever and typically left her unable to function or work or…

“Crap!” she exclaimed, sitting up again and immediately regretting it as the room tilted wildly. Henry. She had to take Henry to school today, per Regina’s request. Apparently the mayor had some big early morning meeting and it was Emma’s job to drop the kid off at school on this particular morning. 

Blindly, she reached for her phone on her nightstand. The movement caused the pounding in her head to increase tenfold and she moaned in pain, clutching her head in her hands once more. Fuck. 

But somehow, Emma managed to press Regina’s speed-dial number and she tentatively placed the ringing phone near her ear.

“Hello,” Regina answered. 

“mmmm,” was Emma’s grumbled reply.

“Emma?” Regina spoke.

“Yea, hey,” she mumbled. “Head…pounding…Henry,” was all Emma managed to get out. But Regina seemed to understand her drift. 

“These migraines are really getting out of control. Perhaps you need to see a doctor,” Regina said. 

“No. Whale’s scary,” Emma replied. Was the pounding this bad when she woke up? It only seemed to be getting worse as the minutes ticked by. “It hurts,” she cried out softly. 

“Ok.” Emma heard some rustling on the other end of the phone. “I’m going to drop Henry at school and come over.”

Emma’s eyes opened. “Meeting?”

“Don’t worry about that,” came Regina’s short reply. “I’ll be there in 20.” The phone clicked. Emma rolled over, shoving the phone away, and tried to block out the pain in her head. 

It seemed only moments later that Emma heard the front door downstairs open. The soft clicking of Regina’s shoes followed shortly. 

And then a soft, cool hand grazed Emma’s forehead and she leaned into the touch. 

“Mmmm, that feel’s nice,” Emma whispered. She felt the bed dip down as Regina settled next to her, perched on the edge of the mattress. 

“Have you had any water or taken anything for the pain yet?” Regina’s fingers continued to brush Emma’s head as she spoke. 

“No, couldn’t move.” The pounding was only increasing since Emma had awoken and the thought of rising from the bed seemed simply dreadful. Regina sighed slightly and stood up. Emma heard the en suite bathroom door open and the tap turning on. Regina returned moments later with a full glass of water and two white pills. 

“For the head,” she explained when Emma eyed the pills wearily. Regina helped Emma into a sitting position, her hand gently grazing Emma’s back and sliding unintentionally underneath Emma’s thin t-shirt. Emma shivered at the touch, the pleasant feel of Regina’s fingers stroking her bare skin giving her goosebumps. She craved more contact and scooted ever-so-slightly closer to the brunette. 

Emma reached for the water, but the movement forward made the room twist roughly and her stomach lurched. She barely managed to push Regina to the side and rush to the bathroom before her stomach emptied into the toilet. Her stomach muscles contracted painfully and her blood pumped roughly in her head. Sweat prickled at the back of her neck. But she felt a soothing hand run up and down her back, comforting her and calming her anxiety as she choked, sputtered, and emptied last night’s dinner into the bowl. 

“Shhhh, it’s ok,” Regina murmured over and over, gently grasping Emma’s long blonde hair in her hands and pulling it away from the toilet. “It’s ok,” she said again. Emma leaned into Regina’s body, weak and spent. 

“I hate this,” Emma moaned. 

“Me too.” Regina leaned forward and placed a soft kiss to Emma’s temple. She grasped Emma’s arms and helped her over to the sink to rinse her mouth, the whole time running her fingers reasurringly across Emma’s back and head. “Let’s get you back to bed.” Emma nodded. 

The two women moved back into Emma’s dark bedroom and Regina helped Emma under the covers, smoothing the blankets out over the sick woman. 

“I’m sorry you have to take care of me. Please feel free to go back to work,” Emma mumbled.

“No way, Ms. Swan. I’m staying,” Regina replied. 

“Kay,” came the quiet response. “Stay with me?”

“I just said that I would,” Regina answered, rolling her eyes slightly. 

“No, I mean…” she tapered off, patting the spot next to her in the bed. Regina quirked her eyebrows. Yes, they had become quite close the past few months, but neither had crossed any friendship lines, preferring to remain safely behind the friendship boarder so as to avoid any further emotional turmoil. They’d each had enough of that to last a lifetime. 

Nonetheless, Regina scooted under the covers, turning on her side to face the blonde. Emma smiled, eyes still closed, and snuggled closer to the brunette. Regina leaned closer, her chin resting on top of the blonde’s head and her arms sliding around the small body. She kissed the top of Emma’s head. 

“Love you,” Regina heard whispered into the dark room. She inhaled softly as she felt Emma’s fingers tightly grasp her shirt. Beautiful words that she did not hear often. Emma’s breathing was slowly evening out and Regina could tell the blonde was falling further into sleep. And only the security of a half-asleep and sick Emma allowed her to do what she did next. 

Although they were already so entwined, legs and arms wrapped in each other, but Regina still moved even closer to the blonde. And she pressed her lips against the blonde’s cheek, and then her other cheek, and then ever so slightly against the corner of Emma’s mouth. The blonde sighed happily in her sleep, her mouth turning upwards into a soft smile. 

“I love you too, Emma,” Regina whispered, her breath brushing lightly against Emma’s face as they momentarily shared the same air. 

The late morning sun seeped lightly into the room from underneath the shades, and yet the two women rested soundly, safely entwined in the other’s arms, bodies pressed tightly together. This is home, Regina thought happily as her eyelids closed and she succumb to a late morning sleep. You’re my happy ending.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Originally I thought this would be a oneshot. But I’ve received some wonderful feedback and continue to feel inspired by the last episodes of 5B (and by Regina & Emma in general). So, this story moves onwards! 
> 
> Let me know if there are specific scenes you wish to see happen and I can write them in.

Emma stirred, restless, and cautiously opened her eyes. She felt terrible, but at least the sharp head pains thankfully seemed to have weakened. She was still reluctant to move though, just in case the terrible throbbing returned with any sudden movement. Instead, she focused on the soft breathing that was lightly hitting the back of her neck. 

Regina grasped Emma securely in her sleep; her arms looped around Emma torso, pulling the blonde’s backside close to her own front. They were, effectively, spooning. And Emma loved it. She wiggled her butt slightly, resituating herself even more snugly into Regina’s arms. 

Regina’s hold tightened slightly, and Emma felt a soft hand reach up and smooth her hair, gently combing through the long strands. So Emma turned over. 

“Hey,” Emma murmured. 

“Morning,” Regina smiled. 

“Morning take two,” Emma laughed lightly. Regina nodded and cupped the blonde’s face, running her thumb along the contours of her cheeks. Her eyes sought out Emma’s green ones, and the two gazed happily at each other for several quiet moments. 

“How are you feeling?” Regina finally broke the silence. Emma paused, taking note of her body. Her head was no longer pounding, but she still felt the residual aftershocks, as if the sharp pains would return at any moment. 

“Mmmm,” she mused. “I’ve definitely felt better.” Regina’s eyebrows furrowed. 

“Is your head still pounding?” she asked, her fingertips grazing the blonde’s forehead lightly. 

“A little bit,” Emma answered truthfully. 

“And your stomach?” Regina asked. Her hand slid under the covers, gently seeking out Emma’s stomach. She rubbed small circles, causing the shirt material to rise slightly and her palm to brush against Emma’s bare skin. Emma gasped. “Sorry,” Regina murmured, pulling her hand away quickly. 

“No no,” Emma stuttered. “That’s fine,” she tried to smile warmly, but was distracted by the tingly feeling Regina’s hand had caused on her skin. So instead, Emma sought out Regina’s hand beneath the covers and wove their fingers together. Regina gave her hand a light squeeze. 

“I’m going to get you some more water. You need to stay hydrated to ward off the migraine.” Regina moved slightly to get up from the bed, but was stopped by Emma’s hand pulling her back. 

“Noooo,” Emma whined. “Stayyyy.” Regina chuckled. 

“Emma, you need some water.” Emma pouted and Regina lightly tapped Emma’s bottom lip with her index finger. “I’ll come right back. Promise.” She rose from the bed and Emma sighed melodramatically, flopping onto her back and spreading out on the bed. 

“Fine,” she grumbled, already missing Regina’s warmth.

Regina returned, glass of water in hand, and Emma peered up at her. Regina’s blouse and skirt had some clearly defined wrinkles caused from sleeping in the nice clothing, but Regina had not seemed to notice. Again, Regina helped Emma into a seated position and handed her the glass. This time, the room did not spin and Emma gratefully gulped the cold liquid. 

“See, aren’t you glad I got you that water,” Regina smirked. 

“Yea, yea, yea, I was thirsty. Just didn’t want you to get up.” Emma pouted, again. 

“And I’m just trying to take care of you, dear,” Regina replied, placing a stray blonde strand of hair behind Emma’s ear. 

Regina froze, noticing both the intimacy of that gesture and the fact that Emma’s eyes were glued to her hand. Neither moved, until Emma lifted her eyes to Regina’s face. 

Her lips seemed to be so close to her own, Emma thought. She wondered how they got there. And as she was pondering Regina’s lips, those same lips inched slightly forward, nearly grazing her own. 

“Please,” Emma whispered ever-so quietly. Regina nodded and closed the gap between them, pressing her lips tenderly against Emma’s. There was no movement; only the soft fluttering of their shared breathing and lips gently caressing each other. 

Emma sighed into Regina’s mouth, savoring the touch of Regina’s plump lips against her own. Then she reached her hand up to cup Regina’s cheek, coaxing her lips to open further. And Regina happily obliged, widened her lips to capture Emma’s tongue, all the while sliding her own tongue deep into Emma’s beautiful mouth. 

Emma felt Regina’s fingers tightly grasping the back of her hair, angling her head upwards for better access. She moaned quietly as she tasted the peppermint flavor inside Regina’s mouth. Toothpaste, probably, Emma thought offhandedly. 

They pulled back slightly from each other, faces still occupying the same space. Regina’s eyes were wide, as if she was terrified of the line they had just crossed. So Emma kissed first one cheek, then the other, then her nose, and finally, placed a tiny, reassuring, kiss on her lips. 

Emma leaned away once more and smiled widely. And Regina smiled back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a somewhat peaceful early afternoon, the migraines return. Which means, of course, that it’s time for more cuddles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on a roll here - 2 chapters in 2 days! Again, feel free to share any prompts in the comments.

The next time Emma woke up, she was alone. The bedroom was still quite dark, but the sun seeping through the blinds was brighter; it was clearly the afternoon, Emma thought. The spot in the bed next to Emma was cold, but the covers were thrown back and mussed. 

Emma grumbled and tossed back the covers. They had kissed. She was sure of it. And it had been the best kiss of her life. She could still feel the warmth of Regina’s breath against her lips and the soft touch of her fingers grazing her cheeks. 

Emma popped out of bed. Where was that woman? Clothed only in tiny shorts and a thin white cotton t-shirt, Emma meandered downstairs to the kitchen in search of something to eat. After that purge of her stomach earlier this morning, she was starving. 

As Emma neared the kitchen, she heard the clinking of plates and the running faucet. Peering curiously around the corner, Emma saw a petite figure curved over the stove. So Emma stepped behind the brunette and circled her arms around Regina’s waist. 

“Oh!” Regina startled, leaning her head back and turned her neck to peer at the blonde. 

“Hi,” Emma said. Regina smiled and pecked the blonde softly on the corner of her mouth. Emma grinned. “What ya cooking?” Emma asked.

“Chicken soup,” Regina replied, turning back to face the stove. “Something soothing and not too harsh for your stomach. We definitely don’t want a repeat of this morning.” Regina busied herself with stirring the broth. Emma just buried her nose in Regina’s neck, smelling the sweet Regina smell and began kissing her way up the long neck to Regina’s check and then mouth. 

Regina giggled. Actual light pitched, musical sounds. “Stop distracting me,” she admonished. 

“No,” came the curt reply. Instead she just continued her feathery kissing journey across Regina’s collarbone. Regina sighed happily and began to mindlessly stroke the pale arm wrapped around her waist. They stood like that for a while, Emma’s warm breath tickling the side of Regina’s neck. 

But after a few moments, Emma felt some residual pounding in her forehead, as if little hammers were slowly beginning construction word inside her head. “Great,” she muttered, burying her face more deeply into Regina’s side. 

Regina turned around in Emma’s arms and peered at up at the angelic face. 

“What’s wrong?” Regina asked. 

Emma shook her head slightly. “Nothing.”

Regina cocked her head in disbelief and Emma shifted her eyes away from the piercing brown ones. 

“Ok,” she relented. “My head hurts a bit.” Regina brought her hand up to Emma’s forehead and comfortingly pressed the area with her palm. Emma staggered back slightly. 

“Oh,” she said, stumbling backwards against the countertop and away from Regina’s arm. She grasped her head in her own hands as her vision blurred slightly. “Not good,” she murmured. The throbbing was back in full force now. “I have to lie down,” she said. 

Regina stepped forward, but Emma spun around and staggered towards the living room. Regina heard the sound of her body fully collapsing on the couch. She stared, worrisomely, at the vacant spot where Emma had just stood. 

In the other room, Emma shoved her head deeply into the couch pillow and willed sleep to come so she could escape the pain. She soon heard the pattering of sock clad feet (Regina in socks? She thought momentarily) and felt a soft hand coax her body to face upwards on the couch. 

“Emma, dear, I need you to turn around,” Regina explained. 

“Why,” Emma said defiantly. 

“Just do it,” came the response. Emma huffed, but did as she was told. And soon a cool washcloth was placed on her forehead. The cool wetness felt nice and provided some relief, or at least, momentary distraction from the incessant pounding. Emma’s body visibly relaxed deeper into the couch.

“There, that’s better,” said Regina, running her hand down the length of Emma’s arm. 

“Mmhmm,” Emma agreed, keeping her eyes closed tightly to keep the bright light out. Regina moved Emma’s legs to the side, and settled into the other end of the couch, all the while keeping her own hand securely placed on Emma’s body. 

“We really need to get you checked out. This is not normal,” Regina spoke. 

“I guess,” Emma shrugged. 

“No, really,” Regina said, turned her body to directly face the blonde. “This is happening at least two times per week now. And you barely function when they do.” Regina shook her head. 

“It’s better when you’re here,” Emma murmured. “Lay with me?” she asked tentatively. So Regina leaned down fully on the couch, hovering slightly over the blonde’s body before settling next to her; they were snuggled together tightly in the small couch space. 

Emma turned her head, the wet washcloth slipping off, and nuzzled her nose into Regina neck. Regina ran her fingers through the soft blonde hair.

“Can I try something?” she asked. Emma nodded slightly. Regina stilled her fingers, resting her entire palm against the blonde’s head. Soft and warm purple light seeped out of her fingers and sunk deeply into Emma’s forehead. 

“What’s that?” Emma questioned, enjoying the warm feelings emanating from Regina’s hands. But even as she asked, the throbbing in her head seemed to lessen. She gasped. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “That feels so good,” she whimpered. 

“That’s magic, dear,” Regina answered, still concentrating hard on pushing the warm, healing tendrils of magic into Emma’s body. After a few moments, she pulled back. Emma’s face was entirely relaxed; a small smile graced her lips and her body sunk limply into the couch. 

“That was amazing,” Emma moaned. “Thank you,” she said, open her eyes slightly and peering at the brunette. Regina simply pressed a small kiss to Emma’s temple. 

“I want you to come to dinner tomorrow night,” Regina said. 

“Ok. With you and Henry?” Emma paused. “Lasagna?” she asked, excitement creeping into her voice. 

“Of course,” Regina smiled. 

“Yay!” and Emma pressed a gentle kiss to Regina’s lips in thanks. 

“Mmm,” Regina sighed against her lips. “I love that we can do this now.” Emma nodded in assent.

“Regina?” Emma asked.

“Yes dear?” 

“What are we?” she looked away timidly. 

Regina lifted Emma’s chin with her finger, forcing the blonde to gaze into her eyes. “Emma Swan,” she began. “You’re my family.” She closed the gap between their mouths, sucking Emma’s bottom lip gently. They kissed lazily for several minutes, breaking apart only when their lungs burned from lack of air. Emma breathed deeply, her breath labored slightly. 

“I want you to rest a little more,” Regina said, soothingly stroking Emma’s cheek. “I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

“Promise?” Emma asked, burrowing into Regina’s side. 

“Always,” she whispered back. She played with the ends of Emma’s hair until the blonde’s breath slowed as she drifted off to sleep once more.


End file.
